More than 100,000 vulnerable patients wrongly 'struck off' GP lists after being assumed dead Vulnerable patients are being wrongly struck off GPs’ lists in botched attempts to remove details of those who have died or moved, doctors have warned.
Family doctors say more than 100,000 patients - including elderly people with dementia - have been deregistered by local practices in the last year in error, following bungled efforts by NHS officials to “cleanse lists” to make them more up to date.
Charities said the disclosures were “horrifying,” with isolated and confused patients losing access to basic healthcare after being assumed dead - simply because they had not sought medical help recently.
Across the country, health officials have ordered purges of lists, after warnings from auditors that too many practices were receiving funding for “ghost patients” who in fact have died, moved house or left the country, without records being updated.
In most cases, patients have been removed from the list if they have not seen their family doctor for about a year, and do not respond to letters asking if they wish to remain registered.